IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2019 - 184

management and decision-making applications. I have realized that some of the products and tools I have developed for
fire management can, indeed, be applied to other fields, for
example, habitat mapping and species conservation. I have
recently started to lead a new pilot project, which is internally funded by the ANU Grand Challenges scheme, to develop
dynamic fauna-occupancy and
habitat models by integrating
a network of acoustic sensors
CONTRIBUTING TO
with variables of habitat conSCIENTIFIC EVALUATION IS
dition derived from remote
IMPORTANT BECAUSE, AS
sensing data at a nature reserve
AN ACTIVE SCIENTIST, ONE
in Canberra. Yes, I know, this
project is a bit out of my comNEEDS TO GIVE BACK THE
fort zone, but that is also what
SERVICES ONE RECEIVES
makes it exciting to me. Also,
FROM OTHER SCIENTISTS.
to ensure success, I have assembled a multidisciplinary
and trustworthy team of engineers and ecologists, and even musicians, who highly complement each other. Teamwork is an essential component when
it comes to dealing with global challenges and performing
research with real impacts. I would like to create a research
program across the engineering and environmental departments of my university to address real-world environmental challenges.
SPOTLIGHT THEMES: THE IMPORTANCE
OF PARTICIPATING IN PEER REVIEW AND
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
How would you describe being an AE at RSE?
Dr. Yebra: It has now been a bit more than a year since
I joined the editorial board of RSE as an AE, and I have to
admit that, while I enjoy reading most of the papers and
reviewers' comments on the papers I have handled, I have
also found the job a bit stressful. The main contributor to
that stress is that a part of the extra workload entails the responsibility to make decisions that need to be fair and that
will have an impact on other people's professional lives.
I am also aware of the importance of a quick response, so
I sometimes struggle to balance the decision of a quick response versus waiting to have a big enough gap in my calendar to give each paper the time it deserves. I also find
it a bit unpleasant to have to chase reviewers so that they
submit their reviews on time. However, I have to admit that
I was one of those reviewers that used to send reports in
late. Having said that, I am still an AE at RSE because, deep
down, I enjoy it. I am just training myself to be practical,
stick to the core tasks, and remember that I am doing the
community a service. I can only do my best, and I should
not blame myself if I cannot do it faster.
Are you actively involved in other peer review activities,
as well, such as reviewing for other journals or projectproposal evaluations or teaching-plan evaluations?

184

Dr. Yebra: I still receive invitations to review for other
journals, but I have learned to decline most or all requests,
even though sometimes the manuscript really matches my
expertise and appeals to me. At the beginning, I felt bad
about that, but then I realized that I already contribute
enough to the community in terms of editorial tasks as part
of my AE role at RSE, and taking more editorial roles only
increases my stress level unnecessarily. I do, however, take
roles in project proposals or master's/Ph.D. thesis evaluations, since I write grant proposals that need to be reviewed
and supervise students whose theses need to be reviewed.
I feel that I have to give that particular service back to the
community. However, more and more, I think carefully
when making those decisions, and I only accept tasks when
I know that I can commit to delivering on time without
compromising my family and my free time, and if the work
corresponds to a topic highly related to my core expertise
and research interests.
Do you have any additional comments on the value of
peer review, participation in contributing to scientific
evaluation processes, and work-life balance?
Dr. Yebra: Contributing to scientific evaluation is important because, as an active scientist, one needs to give
back the services one receives from other scientists (for
example, if you publish, you also have to review, since
every paper you submit for publication is reviewed by at
least two or three people). However, these extra jobs are
time consuming, and, because of having to deal with other pressing jobs with hard deadlines, we tend to do them
outside working hours and, in some cases, compromise
our time for enjoyment or relaxation. This is something
to be very careful about if we want to enjoy a work-life
balance. Of course, people's needs in terms of work-life
balance are different. I have colleagues that cannot go
without doing any scientific work for very long because
that is, indeed, what they enjoy doing. The most important thing is for everyone to know what they need for a
good work-life balance.
In my case, I hardly ever work during the weekend. I really need those two days to reset my brain, spend quality
time with my family without having to rush, and enjoy my
time to do the other hundreds of things that I enjoy doing. For example, I love photography, and, about three years
ago, I decided to start my own small photography business
that I run during the weekends. In summary, when it comes
to making decisions on taking that extra job I have been
asked to do, I try not to rush. I leave that request aside for a
little bit, and then I evaluate if taking it would prevent me
from getting the balance I need in my life. Sometimes, I
find it hard to say no because I find some of those extra activities interesting, especially if they involve traveling, but
I think I am getting better at making decisions that suit me
and my family's needs.
GRS

IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE

JUNE 2019

IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - June 2019

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